Latest Posts

We’Ced Weighs In: Reflections on the Desert Vista High School Incident

January 30, 2016 /

Over the weekend, a photo of six smiling Desert Vista High School students dressed in black shirts emblazoned with gold letters as they arranged to spell a racial slur, surfaced on the internet. The viral image sparked nationwide headlines and responses on social media. We’Ced reporters discussed the incident and the aftermath. Below are their reflections.

Get DACA, Pursue Your Dream Job

January 26, 2016 /

In order to enroll in the liberal studies program at her college, Meza needed a social security number, something she did not have because she was undocumented. To work with children, she had to pass a background check and get her fingerprints scanned. Knowing she could do neither, she feared she would not be able to graduate.

Countering the Myth of El Chapo in Merced

January 23, 2016 /

Regrettably, too many of our youth are influenced a great deal by people like El Chapo. Leaders of drug cartels have slowly become fixtures on social media, and to some, are perceived as role models. Youth are attracted to the false belief that trafficking drugs is the only way out of poverty or the ā€œhood.ā€

Latest ICE Raids Spark Fear Among Families in Merced

January 16, 2016 /

ā€œI’m just working and trying to have a better quality of life for my family here and in Mexico,ā€ explained Graciela’s husband. The 42-year-old came to the United States 15 years ago. The sole breadwinner in the family, he commutes daily to work in the Bay Area.

Calif. Bill Would Fund Trauma and Mental Health Services for Students

January 16, 2016 /

The Children Now report warns that if kids struggling with mental health disorders don’t get the treatment they need, they are more likely to be hospitalized, drop out of school and become ā€œinvolved with the justice system.ā€ The report also says that only 40 percent of children under the age of six with mental health issues get the support they need.

‘Know your Rights’ En EspaƱol

January 16, 2016 /

We’Ced En EspaƱol presents: Conozca sus Derechos! In an effort to keep our communities safe and informed, We’Ced Youth Media has partnered with local Immigration AttorneyĀ Carolina CastaƱeda to publish a ‘Know your Rights’ guide in Spanish. Read More

We’Ced’s Best of 2015

January 14, 2016 /

Our 'Best of 2015' list is a collection of stories that give us a glimpse of life in Merced through the eyes of our youth journalists and beat reporter. From living with depression to being transgender, solitary confinement and attending school as a 'Dreamer,' here's a look at the top 10 stories that appealed to We'Ced readers.

Why Latino Voters Matter – 5 Reasons to Watch the Hispanic Vote in 2016

January 14, 2016 /

Latinos are at the epicenter of the swirling, unpredictable 2016 presidential campaign. From Donald Trump’s polarizing comments about Mexican immigrants to Hilary Clinton’s recent clumsy attempt to identify with Hispanic grandmothers, Latinos are either being blamed for ruining the country or being courted as voters like never before.

Why Young Latinos in Rural California Support Sanders

January 14, 2016 /

Sanders support for free college tuition holds tremendous promise for communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley. It can offer our youth the choice to attend college, it can offer our current college students the opportunity to dedicate more time to their studies so that one day we can become leaders and keep working toward a better future.

Making Juvenile Hall the Mental Health Provider of Last – Not First – Resort

December 18, 2015 /

According to a new study by the San Francisco-based Young Minds Advocacy Project (YMAP), as many as 70 percent of the kids in California’s juvenile detention centers are in need of mental health care, and most of them are not getting it. Patrick Gardner, YMAP’s founder and one of the report’s authors, says many of these youth would not be in detention in the first place if there were more home and community-based mental health services available.